Kim Ji-hoon cast in sci-fi mystery sageuk
by javabeans
Kim Ji-hoon in a “Joseon-era X Files”? Sold!
Okay, I can see a myriad of ways that a science-fiction-y mystery sageuk drama might turn out badly — particularly if they take the X Files comparison too far. But with the historical angle, this is such an odd mix of elements that I find myself weirdly compelled, and that’s before even hearing about the story.
The series is 기찰비록, which translates roughly to “Secret Investigation Record.” It’ll air on cable channel tvN as a 12-episode series, starring Kim Ji-hoon of Wish Upon a Star and Im Jung-eun of Swallow the Sun. (Im has also been cast as a gisaeng — a Joseon-era entertainer — in the upcoming youth sageuk Sungkyunkwan Scandal.)
The show is based on true records in the Annals of Joseon History, and uses that as a jumping-off point to feature “bizarre incidents that have never before been illuminated.” As such, it’ll deal with UFOs, mutations, and other mysterious events that cannot be explained through science. Of course, it’ll also include a massive conspiracy, which our hero digs up.
Kim Ji-hoon plays an inspector of the state whose duty is to investigate administrative misdeeds. He’s the type to focus solely on his own concerns, ignoring those of people around him, wholly uninterested in politics or ambition. After dipping his feet into the sageuk genre in Iron Empress, this will mark Kim’s second go at the genre, and it’ll be a familiar character for him in that he is cool, logical, and intelligent. (Not unlike the lawyer characters he’s played before in Wish Upon a Star and Love & Marriage.) According to a production rep, his character is “hard on the outside” but hurty on the inside — it’s how we best like our heroes, no?
Im Jung-eun’s character is a government employee who’s proficient in several languages and knowledgeable about culture. She’s the one who believes strongly that something exists out there that cannot be explained in these odd incidents, making her the Mulder to his Scully. The production source said of her, “During the process of discussing casting, she proposed a lot of ideas on her own, and we felt she could really portray this character positively.”
The drama will begin filming on June 17 in Guryepo, on the Taean peninsula in southern Korea. The first episode airs at midnight on August 20 on tvN.
Via Newsen
RELATED POSTS
Tags: cable programs, Im Jung-eun, Kim Ji-hoon
![[Drama Chat] I’ll stick around dramaland in 2025 because…](https://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/mmh78_5-scaled.jpg)
![[Beanie Review] Light Shop](https://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LightShop_reviewb.jpg)
Required fields are marked *
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
1 mimi
June 16, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Loved him in Wish Upon a Star!!!!!!
Required fields are marked *
2 eiko
June 16, 2010 at 12:09 PM
Very interesting! I like what I'm reading about the story.....I hope the director can do a credible job.....will look forward to this one.
Required fields are marked *
3 langdon813
June 16, 2010 at 12:15 PM
K-drama AND sci-fi, two of my favorite things in the world?? I'm sold too, absolutely! Kim Ji-hoon is part of the package? Even BETTER! :-D
Thanks JB!
Required fields are marked *
4 Kender
June 16, 2010 at 12:17 PM
YES PLEASE. This sounds freaking awesome, and not just because I love Kim Ji-hoon..
Required fields are marked *
5 aberdeen_angus
June 16, 2010 at 12:46 PM
"[...]his character is “hard on the outside” but hurty on the inside[...]"
*rolls eyes*
BUT I'll give this a try, nevertheless. I'm utterly intrigued by the genre mash up!
Required fields are marked *
6 Bee
June 16, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Okay. THIS I've got to see! :)
Required fields are marked *
7 http://www.expdrama.com/
June 16, 2010 at 1:34 PM
Watched him ages ago in Wish Upon A Star, would be interesting to see him agian, Kim Ji Hoon!
Required fields are marked *
8 Linda
June 16, 2010 at 1:35 PM
Omo, omo! YESSS! I'm on this boat already!! And, August 20 is SO, SO, SO soon! Thanks much for sharing this news!
Required fields are marked *
9 skelly
June 16, 2010 at 2:06 PM
What's with his hair in the pic??? It makes him look like one of the aliens he is investigating...
Required fields are marked *
10 sumee
June 16, 2010 at 2:10 PM
May be may be not..not a fan of sageuk Dramas ..BUT BUT BUT
DB..outta Ext-ream ................Ext-ream ..................Curiosity any idea about the where about of Gong Yoo..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really need him to star him in some Drama...
Required fields are marked *
11 Kavitha Ravi
June 16, 2010 at 2:19 PM
that sounds so weirdly awesome that i might just watch it!
Required fields are marked *
12 Kavitha Ravi
June 16, 2010 at 2:27 PM
@ Sumee
looool you will get to see GY in a movie soon! he's currently filming a movie called finding kim jong wook....i do know tht he will be in India from 25th june onwards for 10 days to shoot the film ( YAAAAAAAY!!! so stalking him if only i can figure out the shooting locations!! but still Im sooooo excited tht he will be in the same country as me!!) and yep cant wait to see him a drama! need to get my fill of GY in a cute drama after 2 loooooooong years!!
Required fields are marked *
13 sumee
June 16, 2010 at 3:36 PM
@ oh! tht! chick!
OMO OMO....great he will be in a movie..I can't be more Excited..U r one lucky Gurl...hope you find him there...Thanks for the info sweets...
Required fields are marked *
14 hmm...
June 16, 2010 at 4:13 PM
I hardly see any talk on cable network dramas. I think this is the first I've actually heard about dramas that are not on any of three major networks.
Required fields are marked *
15 Mana
June 16, 2010 at 5:04 PM
currently I am more curious about Kim Ji-hoon's theater role but still I like korean historical drama's and I cant wait to see him in a hanbok ^^
Required fields are marked *
16 Javabeans
June 16, 2010 at 5:04 PM
@hmm,
Check the "cable programs" tag: http://www.dramabeans.com/tag/cable-programs/
I talk about cable shows from time to time, though not as frequently. Depends on the program and the draw of the show.
Required fields are marked *
17 gia
June 16, 2010 at 5:11 PM
Hoping in this series, He will have a image like this
: as a good-looking and attractive figure to many female admirers
sound sexy
Required fields are marked *
18 ar_arguably romantic
June 16, 2010 at 5:14 PM
very interesting concept and i've been more in the mood for mystery/sci-fi/fantasy lately and it's an added bonus that it's a sageuk to keep it from being too much like the american tv shows
Required fields are marked *
19 Om
June 16, 2010 at 5:24 PM
As long as Kim Ji Hoon takes his shirt off Im sold, I know its a cheap thing to say but what can I do, he's my bias.
Required fields are marked *
20 Koikoi
June 16, 2010 at 6:38 PM
I think he must be heading to the army soon.
He just finished a film, is doing a play and now this series, how do you watch cable programs though?
Required fields are marked *
21 Startulle
June 16, 2010 at 7:59 PM
...........miss him so much!!! i like when he does comedy drama..i can't resist his adorable smile!
Required fields are marked *
22 Jae In
June 16, 2010 at 8:36 PM
sci-fi ah. I watch it if can be downloaded and subbed. Thanks for this info. Maybe first time watch kdrama have sci-fi genre although there a few. Sound nice and be different.
Required fields are marked *
23 pohonphee
June 16, 2010 at 8:55 PM
'“hard on the outside” but hurty on the inside — it’s how we best like our heroes, no?'
@JB: Yes, yes, yes we like those kind of heroes...
Required fields are marked *
24
June 16, 2010 at 9:52 PM
I miss seeing Kim Ji Hoon's face...since WUAS!!! Although I'm not "sold" with the genre & story description...sounds WEIRD to me!!! Hope we, non-Koreans...can have access to watch cable dramas,too!!!
Required fields are marked *
25 phjfever
June 16, 2010 at 9:58 PM
thnx JB for this grt news about my no. 1 favorite Kor actor Kim Ji Hoon....I'm so thrilled to hear he's going to do another proj. aside from his stage play University of Laugh. I hope it's possible to see this online (????)... I can't wait to see him again after SFFTS, missing him so much, his gorgeous face, beautiful smile & I can go on & on! He's versatile, he can do anything, be it comedy, drama or this sci-fi mystery!
I may not be a huge fan of sageuk dramas but if it's Kim Ji I don't mind sitting in front of the screen for hours just gazing at his face is more than enough! Love you Kim ji ssi!
thnx again JB - u'r awesome bringing us up to date about our fave celebs!
Required fields are marked *
26 phjfever
June 16, 2010 at 10:11 PM
oh i sure hope we can see this even if it's thru cable drama stn.
btw, i really am not looking forward to hearing that Kim ji will be going to the military anytime soon? i dread to think of that day coz 2 yrs is too long for him to be absent in the limelight. I hope he gets to do some dramas before he leaves! *_* sigh sigh
Required fields are marked *
27 phjfever
June 16, 2010 at 10:21 PM
@skelly....that photo with his hair looking unnatural was from Stars Falling from... and i think the director got it shaved a bit for his role & i honestly didn't think much of it either but he can get away with anything coz of his gorgeous face so i hope that sort of gives u an idea. He's gorgeous & i guess even if they make him bald in his role he'd still look good! :)
Required fields are marked *
28 ivy
June 17, 2010 at 6:27 AM
fresh genre indeed; a mixture seldom undertaken in dramas. i am intrigued and would like to try it... of course, i agree. this could go really bad, definitely, more ways it could go wrong than go right, but at least it's not run of the mill stuff
Required fields are marked *
29 BritfromBlighty
June 17, 2010 at 12:11 PM
Why does he shave his forehead?
Required fields are marked *
30 vixen
June 19, 2010 at 11:26 PM
finally, i can see him again. lol
thank you JB for the updates.
Required fields are marked *